Gun



July 18, 1944.

W. T. GORTON GUN Filed May 15, 1939 invent m Wultev T- [Em tun Patented July 18, 1944 Walter T. Gorton, United States Army, Springfield, Mass.

Application May 15, 1939, Serial No. 273,707

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 4 Claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to weapons and more particularly to firearms or guns of the singleshot breech-loading type, and it has for an object to provide an improved single shot weapon of the general character seated which will be superior in point of relative simplicity and inexpensiveness of construction in conjunction with safety and efficiency in operation. y

A further object of the invention is to provide a weapon of the type stated embodying an inertia or blow-back breech block.

A still further object of the invention is to effect extraction and ejection of the empty cartridge case by. means of the chamber pressure direct whereby the extractor and ejector may be eliminated and the cartridge supported about its entire surface within the chamber.

-Another object of the invention is to so arrange the breech block that it will remain open after firing. for subsequent manual closure afterrel'oading' of the weapon.

The specific nature of 'the invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will clearly appear from a description of a preferred embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawing. in which:

Fig. I is a fragmentary elevational viewp'ar tially in section of a weapon embodying theinvention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig.1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a cleaning rod guide adapted for use with the weapon of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the device shown in Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawing by characters of reference the weapon will be seen to be" com} prised of a frame I; barrel H, breech block" l2,

firing pin l3, breech block buffer ors'to'p l4 and firing mechanism generally indicated at l5.

The frame I0 may be embodied in any suitable weapon, such as" a rifle, pistol, or gun of larger caliber, andis formed so as' to provide" a trigger guard 16 and barrel attaching 111g I1. The attaching lug I1 is bored on a horizontal axis, as viewed in Fig. 1, and is threaded therethrough as indicated at I8, or otherwise suitably conformed, to engage the chamber end of the barrel H for attaching the latter thereto. In rear of the barrel attaching lug ll the'frame I0 plane, disposed below the SX i S Of the" sore barrel attaching lug IT and is flanged or larly shaped on either Side, as at [9, 156mm slide-Ways for the breech block f2. v I

The barrel H may be of any suitable cancer; and design and is provided at its chambered end with a reduced portion threaded of otherwise conformed to cooperatively engage the threads l8 or other conformations made in the bore" or the barrel attaching mg H to secure the barrel to the attaching lug in readily aemountasie re lation relative thereto and with shmnder 26" formed by the reduced end of the barrel engaging the front face of the" attaching" In this weapon the breech: block 12' operable on the straight blow-back principle, and is" cont prised of an elongated block suitably grooved or inwardly flanged. adjacent both of its 1ower kin gitudinal edges, as indicated at 2!", for cooperat ing with the slideways defined by flanges P9 to restrain the breech block to' longitudinal re ciprocable' movement on the frame; The breech block I2 is of generally rectangular shape in cross-section with its upper longitud maledges suitably rounded to the conformation oi the barrel attaching lug I1 and to facilitate manual manipulation and is of such weight as to prop erly support" the base of a chambered cartridge during firing and have such inertia as to be propelled in recoil by the force of explosion in firing at a predetermined desirable velocity;

As shown at 22'the breech" block is longitudinally bored to floatingl'y house the firingpin f3 v'vhicli may be formed with a striker li'e'ad portionzi provided with a collar 24' intermediate" its ends" and a reduced striker portion 25; The breecn b1ock- I2 at its rear end is'rounded' on an wardl y inclined curve and is inwardly recessed at 26 in intersecting relation with the" tore for the firing pin. Adjacent the mm bore the" walls defining the recess 26] are undercut or otherwise formed at zrmprovide waysfor se'- curing a firing pin retainin element onto the breech block. At its rear end the firing bore is enlarged to sunny acconnnodatethe collar 24 on the firing 'pifi and atits front eii'd the bore" is reduced to provide bearing for the reduced striker portion 25- thereo'f Fig; 1- the breech engaging end or fir'eech bolt is recessed to support the base of a chain bered cartridge and the firing pin may'pfoa into this recess. the bore of thebreeoh bolt win-1a pin-re tracting. spring 28 surrounding reduced" terminates, as viewed in Fig. 1, in a horizontal striker portion 25- and interposed between the The in pm- :a is inserted in ofthe sighting Sjystem,

V aga stthe sear'springnh shoulder formed by the ju'hction of the reduced striker portion with the striker head and reduced front end of the bore under slight initial compression to normally retain the collar 24 against a retaining element 29 inserted in the ways 21 with the head of the firing pin protruding a s'ufiicient. distance into receive ablovj from thelh'ammer. p e a To limit the recoil of the breech block l2 and retain the same on the frame the removable breech block stop or bufier I4 is provided, and is secured to the'frame by means of a shank 39 inserted in a cooperating recess in the frame. The.

buffer l4 may be cylindrical in section as shown in Fig. 1 and has a bufier surface 3| parallel with the confronting surface in the recess 26 for engaging the breech block to receive the impact" 3 of recoil. A suitable detent; which may be*of the type shown at 32 is employed; to retain the breech. block H in its battery position against accidental "unintentional reac movement but is inefie ctiveto"retain'theibreech' block i tat-[ tryagahist the recoil offirin'g. Conveniently" thebreech block l2 naycarr the fiearleight 33 echa ivpe v ais asters the. rame n uch ann .13? rable. 1t ethe 'nrq i di s .he d .o thehrine p n in -the bat.ter position of, the breech ,bloclg; A 3 mmQ '..pl ing.-,36 is positioned within a recess in the. frame; and, has super mposed thereon a.

spring;seat ,31.engaging astrut. 38 pivoted to and depending .fromthe. hammerthrough a suitably recessed part, of the .frame and is of sufficient stifiness whenreleasedto swing the hammer .from cockedtofiring: position andl'cause the latter to impart .iancimpulsesto the firing pin that will 'overcomethe.=retractive force of the'firing pin I retractin spring 28 and project the firing -pin against anchamberedcartridge withprimer deton-at ing fOrce. -To retain the-hammer -34- incocked positionasear 39 is mounted in'a recess in-the frame below the breech-block l2 fand'for wardly of the hammer-for limited reciprocable" movement. Thehainmer is notched at ADfand' the adja'cent'end'f ll' of thefsearflis formed to'co operate with-the hammer notch in such manner as? to retain the hammer in cocked "position inf rearward position "or the sear; 'The forward end of the sear suitably bifurcated to receive the end of aj'trigger 42"Which is pivoted thereto arid depends therefrom, through an opening leading from thesear recess in the frame; into the-space defined by the trigger. guard [6. (A 'searfspring 43 isin's'ertefd through ai'rece'ssin thelframe in pro- Q ion on of "the sear "recessfaridsuita bly retained therein to normally; urgefthe s ear and attached; rig r 1 d r i i iq-h s i qe e s le v. hown dei f'tha ri e e a the. ffiameTatfMadja erit th opening'in the frame leadin'g f-lfrem the sear recess to thespace en h ssed? by: the. trigger} guard whereby a retracvg e i Q11 the tr es rwill c use he. ame to fulcrum about the frame. on the -1ine..of engageehttherewith and move the sear; forwardly mine; '1 t ea' 1 ngoperation the breech block manually retracted to.engage;or...abut. the. breech block buife or stop andexpose. the breech of the-chem b etractiorr f ;the...breech block depresses t hammer .34.;to. compress the hammer spring ,the recess 26 to. r

36 and the sear is urged into engagement with the hammer notch by the sear spring to retain the hammer in cocked position. The action of.

7? been moved away from the hammer. A cartridge 15v is then manually seated in the barrel chamber and the breech block manually returned to battery-wherein it is retained against displacement, except by the force of recoil, by the detent 32. The weapon isnow in condition for firing which may be accomplished by'depression ofthe trigger.

42 to disengage the sear from the hammer whereby'the'hammer 'springwill drive the hammer into engagement with thefiring pin to fire theround.

The chamber pressure'developed b y the fired' round will thrust-thecartridge case to the rear in recoil thereby driving the breech block to the rear and eifec'ting automatic extraction of the cartridge case from the chamber; The cartridge will follow the breech'block to substantially the endof its recoil travel and fall from the frame Whilethe breech block will remain in its recoil position against the butter '14;- The weapon is now recocked. and in condition for: reloading of a subsequent cartridg'e'as above. I I r In Figs. 3 and}; I have showna cleaning rod guide l4 adapted'to be substituted for the recoil buffer l4 after the breech block I2 has been re moved; The guide I4 is provided with a suitableguideway'45 so related topthe axis of the "bore of the barrel as to'causealignment of a cleaning rod indicated atlfiiwith' the bore of the barrel incleaning. In this manner damage of the chamberor bore o'f'the barrel, is prevented through scraping of the cleaning {rod there rod guide may be used as the recoil bufierby combining theguideway'gfeature with the buffer 14,

I-Iavingnow described what I at present consider a preferred embodiment-10f the invention, what I claim as new tersPatent is having a trigger opening, a hammer provided said sear notch to restrain the hammer to cocked position, means urging theseajr into searv notch engaging relation, and atriggerpiVotd to, the sear depending through the trigger opening and adapted to directly engage theframeijsubiac' its pivotal connection with the "as; grin v upon application of. pressure to from sear'notch' engagement.

2. n a warmth of the class1described a reciprocable breech block 'mounte frame andhaving mounted therein affirin the frame andioperable to strikeithej,;fi

45 against during cleaning; If desired thecleaning" and desire to "secure by Let. 1

In'a "weapon of the class described a frarne, V

with a sear notch pivoted in'the frame, asear; movably mounted in the frame and engageablein' move the "sea -P hammer provided with asearnotch-pivoted rin bin; in the closed position of thebreec'h block; a.::sear mountedin the frame to reciprocate "in parallel relation with the breech block. and 'engageablein said sear notch to restrainthe hammer t'o' cocked position, means urging thesear into 'se'ar notch engaging relation, and a trigger pivoted to the sear and depending through the frame with an intermediate part directly engageable with the frame as a fulcrum.

3. In a Weapon of the ciass described a frame, having a trigger opening, a hammer provided with a sear notch pivoted in the frame, a sear movably mounted in the frame and engageable in the sear notch to restrain the hammer to cocked position, means urging the sear into sear notch engaging relation, said sear being bifurcated remote from its sear notch engaging surface, and a trigger pivoted to the sear between the bifurcations thereof and depending through the trigger opening with an intermediate part thereof engaging the frame, whereby application of pressure on the trigger will cause the same to fulcrum on the frame and move the sear from the sear notch.

4. In a weapon of the class described, a frame, a barrel secured to the frame, a reciprocable breech closure for the barrel mounted on the frame and a combined cleaning rod guide and recoil stop mounted on the frame in rear of the breech closure.

WALTER T. GORTON. 

